Drivers Reminded to Slow Down in the Snow Zone

Released on November 25, 2014

Snow plow trucks and operators have already been out in full force to clear the way for drivers this winter. More than 300 snow plows are stationed across the province available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“Our crews take the responsibility of snow removal very seriously,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister Nancy Heppner said. “They know how important their work is for the safety of the travelling public.”

Saskatchewan’s highways are cleared on a priority system based on population centres and traffic volumes:

Level 1 – Goal is to clear within six hours of a storm’s end. These are major inter-provincial and commuter routes that connect communities with a population of 3,000 or more and have a daily traffic count of 1,500 vehicles or more;
Level 2 – Goal is to clear within 12 hours of a storm’s end. These routes have a daily traffic count between 300 and 1,500 vehicles; and
Level 3 – Goal is to clear within 24 hours of a storm’s end. These are all other highways with a traffic count of 300 vehicles or less.

Snow plows in operation create mini-blizzards known as the Snow Zone. If you come upon a plow, slow down and let them clear the way. They will pull over to let vehicles pass roughly every 10 kilometres. It is illegal to pass a plow at more than 60 km/hr.

Before heading out this winter, remember to check the Highway Hotline for the latest road information. New improvements to the site include the addition of an incident icon represented by an exclamation point. Also, greater detail will be provided for construction zones including height, width, weight and speed restrictions. These improvements build upon recently announced enhancements including an improved mobile site, a travel planning tool, and a banner for such things as amber alerts.

The latest road condition updates are available on the Highway Hotline at www.saskatchewan.ca/highwayhotline. Recorded reports are also available by calling 306-787-7623 in Regina, 306-933-8333 in Saskatoon, the SaskTel cellular network at *ROAD, and toll-free across Canada at 1-888-335-7623. For road closures and travel not recommended alerts on Twitter, check out the Highway Hotline account @SKGovHwyHotline. For general tips, visit the Highway Hotline on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SaskatchewanHighwayHotline.

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For more information, contact:

Mark Rathwell
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306 787-8484
Email: mark.rathwell@gov.sk.ca

Drivers Reminded to Slow Down in the Snow Zone

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